Published: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at 06:01 PM.

Legendary Marine has leased the vacant site on Miracle Strip Parkway just west of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce office that has housed different boat dealers in the past and is in the process of putting in a new sales operation there.

Pete Knowles, manager for Legendary Marine owner LMI Holdings, said construction on installing a new modular facility at the site is ongoing.

They hope to have the new sales office open in the next two to three weeks.

“We’re expanding (to Fort Walton Beach) so we can have more inventory and better traffic,” Knowles said. “It’s a great traffic count there and it’s easy access.

“I think the bigger your footprint, the more opportunities you have to sale,” he added. “We hope it’s going to have a positive impact on sales volume.”

In addition to its inventory of new and used boats for sale, Legendary Marine’s Miracle Strip Parkway location will also have about 50 boat slips available for rent.

Legendary Marine will keep its Brooks Bridge site open after the Fort Walton location opens, although some of the inventory from the Brooks Bridge location will move to the new sales operation.

Knowles said initially the new dealership will employ six people who will transfer from Legendary Marine’s Brooks Bridge location and the staff will go back and forth between the two sites. If the new site takes off, additional positions would be added.

MORE CHANGES ON THE HORIZON

Legendary Marine expanding its operations into Fort Walton Beach may not be the biggest news the largest boat dealership on the Emerald Coast announces this month.

Pete Knowles, manager of Legendary Marine owner LMI Holdings, said the company has been in talks with Singleton Marine Services and the results of those discussions would be announced Monday if not sooner. Knowles said Legendary Marine was not up for sale and no sale was pending, but could not discuss the deal further at this time. Some leadership changes have already taken place at Legendary Marine.

Legendary Marine has leased the vacant site on Miracle Strip Parkway just west of the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce office that has housed different boat dealers in the past and is in the process of putting in a new sales operation there.

Pete Knowles, manager for Legendary Marine owner LMI Holdings, said construction on installing a new modular facility at the site is ongoing.

They hope to have the new sales office open in the next two to three weeks.

“We’re expanding (to Fort Walton Beach) so we can have more inventory and better traffic,” Knowles said. “It’s a great traffic count there and it’s easy access.

“I think the bigger your footprint, the more opportunities you have to sale,” he added. “We hope it’s going to have a positive impact on sales volume.”

In addition to its inventory of new and used boats for sale, Legendary Marine’s Miracle Strip Parkway location will also have about 50 boat slips available for rent.

Legendary Marine will keep its Brooks Bridge site open after the Fort Walton location opens, although some of the inventory from the Brooks Bridge location will move to the new sales operation.

Knowles said initially the new dealership will employ six people who will transfer from Legendary Marine’s Brooks Bridge location and the staff will go back and forth between the two sites. If the new site takes off, additional positions would be added.

MORE CHANGES ON THE HORIZON

Legendary Marine expanding its operations into Fort Walton Beach may not be the biggest news the largest boat dealership on the Emerald Coast announces this month.

Pete Knowles, manager of Legendary Marine owner LMI Holdings, said the company has been in talks with Singleton Marine Services and the results of those discussions would be announced Monday if not sooner. Knowles said Legendary Marine was not up for sale and no sale was pending, but could not discuss the deal further at this time. Some leadership changes have already taken place at Legendary Marine.